Machine for filling valve bags



w 4, 1967 J. KNAUF 33mm I MACHINE FOR FILLING VALVE BAGS Filed April 29, 196

'7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aprifi 4, E96? J. KNAUF MACHINE FOR FILLING VALVE BAGS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1964 INVENTOR ATTORNEY$ April 4,, 1967 J. KNAUF 3,312,038

MACHINE FOR FILLING VALVE BAGS Filed April 29, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 as its;

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MACHINE FOR FILLING VALVE BAGS Filed April 29, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOZEF ff/ww p April 4, 1967 J. KNAUF MACHINE FOR FILLING VALVE BAGS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 29, 1964 INV'ENTOR J0 ZEF Kw 0/ April 4, 1967 J. KNAUF 3,312,038

MACHINE FOR FILLING VALVE BAGS Filed April 29, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()filice Patented Apr. l, I967 MACHINE FUR FILLING VALVE BAGS Jozef Knaut', Kerln'ade, Netherlands, assignor to Stamicarhon N.V., Heerlen, Netherlands Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 363,458 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Apr. 29, 1963, 292,155 7 Claims. (Cl. 53-490) The present invention relates to a machine for filling valve bags with a granular or powdery material, as used in the cement, chalk, fertilizer, and other industries.

The term valve bag refers to those bags and other flexible containers having an inwardly extending valve or pour spout which, after the bag has been filled through it, is pressed shut by the contents of the bag when the position of the bag is altered, so that the bag is closed by its own contents. Another type of bag has an outwardly extending valve which has to be pushed inwards after the bag has been filled, and in principle, the invention can also be used for filling such bags.

The known method for filling all valve bags requires an operator to take a bag from a supply, open the valve or pour spout of such bag and slip it around the discharge or filling spout of the machine supplying the granular material. The filled bag is then released by the machine, after which it is immediately ready for transport. There is a great need in the art for at least partial automation of this operation due to the increased use of such bags in industry and commerce. Mechanization has never before been applied to the filling of valve bags however, principally because it is diificult to design a mechanism for opening the valve.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a process and apparatus for the automation of valve bag filling and allied operations.

It is another object of this invention to provide a highly reliable method and apparatus for mechanizing known bag filling operations wherein known bag filling machines can be employed without alteration.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device that will not hinder manual operation when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention, together with a better understanding thereof, will become apparent as this description proceeds.

Broadly described, the invention is characterized by the provision of elements for taking an empty bag from a stock or supply; by one or more mechanisms for opening the valve; and by one or more mechanisms for disposing and orienting the bag so that the opened valve is placed around a filling spout of the machine supplying the powdery or granular material (the filling machine). More particularly, the device of the invention is provided with a swinging arm, mounted on a horizontal shaft for rotation above the discharge spout(s), and adapted for horizontal movement along such shaft. This arm forms part of the disposing and orienting mechanisms, and carries at its end, the bag carrying elements and at least part of the valve opening mechanisms. In its highest position of travel, the arm places the bag carrying elements and the valve opening mechanisms in the correct position in front of, and, by sliding movement along the shaft, against a supply stock wherein the bags are stored vertically with their valve openings down. In its lowermost position, the arm is adapted to slip the valve of a bag around a discharge spout of the filling machine.

It is an important feature of the invention that the mechanism provided does not require alteration of the known filling machine proper. As a further advantage, the device of the invention is mounted on the known filling machine in such a way that its presence does not in any way constitute a hindrance if for any reason its function has to be taken over by an operator. Preferably, the valve Opening mechanism is equipped. with suction cups placed in juxtaposition on a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the valve or pour spout, which in the supply stock is positioned at the front of the bag, which suction cups, after having been placed on the valve, are so turned with respect to each other that the planes of the suction mouths are put at an angle by at least part of the valve opening mechanism, so that the valve is opened. This provides a highly reliable operation, while in comparison it proves very difiicult to open the valve by means of a mechanical device.

It is desirable for the filling machines to operate without interruption. For this reason most of these machines are provided with two filling spouts, which alternately discharge material. In this case, the device according to the invention is equipped with a switching element which places the arm alternately in front of the one or the other spout. In order that the swinging arm itself may not become too complicated, stops and guide tracks for the end of the arm and for control elements of mechanisms mounted on the arm are provided near the bag supply stock, the operation of such mechanisms on the arm being described more fully hereinafter.

The device according to the invention may be driven for example by various cylinder, piston and piston rod combinations, hereinafter simply designated as cylinders. It will be appreciated that the operations of the device of this invention are to be coordinated with the program of the filling machine, and it is unnecessary here to explain how this is accomplished, since such coordination is well understood by those skilled in the art.

The understanding of the invention will be facilitated when reference is had to the accompanying drawings which are to be viewed as illustrative of one embodiment of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting thereof. Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals have been employed to denote the same or similar parts in the several figures:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG- URE l, with the swinging arm omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view, greatly enlarged, taken along line III-III of FIGURE 1 to show the guide and track for controlling the upper movement of the swinging arm;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, taken along line IV-IV of FIGURE 1 to show the guide and track for turning the swinging arm;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 taken along line V-V of FIGURE 1, showing a top view of the guide for the upper suction discs on the swinging arm;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along line VI-VI of FIG- URE 5, showing the front view of one guide of FIG- URE 5 for tilting the support bar on the swinging arm;

FIGURE 7 is a composite schematic view showing five different positions the valve opening suction cups assume during their movement on the swinging arm, three posi-' tions being designated 7a, 7b and 70, respectively, and the other two being alternate positions designated 7d;

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, greatly enlarged, of a portion of the swinging arm showing a mechanism for operating the movable suction cups;

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIGURE 8 to illustrate the coaction of the sleeve and support bar of the swinging arm;

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 showing the end portion of a vacuum line for operating a movable suction cup;

FIGURE 11 is a pictorial view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1, with the swinging arm shown in the raised upper movement position;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged pictorial view of a portion of the swinging arm showing location details of the vacuum lines and guide rollers;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged pictorial view of the swinging arm switching device according to the pnesent invention; and

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged pictorial view showing the cooperating arrangementof the guide tracks of FIGURES 3 to 6 for controlling the upper movement, turning and suction discs of the swinging arm, taken from the underside and to the left of the view shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 11, a standard filling machine 1 is equipped with two juxtaposed filling spouts 2. The opened valves or spouts 4 of the empty bags 3 are alternately slipped around each of these filling spouts as each preceding bag is filled. While being filled, the bags 3 rest on a tilting beam 5 and are held in position by vertical supports 6. The beam 5 forms part of a weighing device (not shown), which operates a cylinder 7 when the bag has reached a certain weight, with the result that the beam 5 pivots on and tilts around a shaft 8, and the filled bag drops onto a carrying or transport device (not shown). The empty bags are taken from a supply stock indicated generally at 9 in which the bags are stacked in vertical planes with the valve opening 19 of valves 4 facing down. The stock of empty bags 9 is continuously advanced by means of a belt conveyor 11 or the like device so that the valve 4 and the bottom 12 of the foremost bag rest against vertical supports 13 and 14, suitably supported in an elevated position with respect to the spouts 2 by appropriate framing or the like, such as shown in FIGURE 11.

According to the invention, the filling machine 1 is desirably provided with a horizontal shaft 15 on which a swinging arm 16 is mounted. The arm 16 can turn in vertical planes and is adapted to slide horizontally over a part 17 fixed with respect to shaft 15 and having a non-circular section which, as shown, is square. The rotational turning of part 17 and arm 16 is caused by a cylinder 18 and a crank 19. The arm 16 is balanced by a weight (not shown), which exerts a pull on a rod 20, via a pulley or the like device. The arm 16 can he slid along the part 17 by means of a cylinder 21 of conventional construction, one end of which is suitably carried by the filling machine and the opposite end of which is configured to neceive a radially extending projection 21' on the arm 16. This movement is accomplished when the arm is in its upper position, as indicated in FIGURE 1 by a dotted line G, which represents the longitudinal axis of the arm and, with the other dotted lines in this figure, represents the outline of arm 16 in the upper or bag supply position.

In FIGURE 2, the extreme positions in plan view between which the arm 16 is reciprocated by the cylinder 21 are represented by the dotted lines H and J, these lines representing, again, the longitudinal axis of the arm. Dotted lines K and L, described hereinafter, indicate filling spout positions of the arm. In the reciprocating movement of arm 16 between positions H and J, a guide member mounted on the arm, such as the roller 27 (FIG- URE 1) journaled on the outer end of projection 21', is guided in a straight track 28, which guide track is recessed in the bent hood 29 (see FIGURE 13). In the extreme positions, the movement of the base or inner portion of arm 16 is moreover limited by stops 2?. and 23 (FIGURE 2), while the outer end of the arm 16 is limited by stops 24 and 25 suitably mounted in fixed relation on the framing of the supports 13 and 14. When the arm is moved to reach the position indicated by line I and elevated to the position indicated by line G, the upward vertical swinging movement is limited by a stop 26 suitably mounted in fixed relation on the framing of the supports 13 and 14 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 3).

In this position, the arm is guided by the roller 35 and the guide track 36 which is likewise suitably mounted in fixed relation on the framing of the supports 13 and 14.

When the cylinder 21 has moved the arm 16 from theposition of line H to that of line I, the roller 27 (FIG- URES 1 and 13) is at the lower'portion of the guide track 28 shown in FIGURE 2. From the position indicated by line I in FIGURE 2, as well as by line G in FIGURE 1, the arm 16 must now be swung down into the position shown in FIGURE 1 where it can be brought alternately in front of each of the two filling spouts, which means that from the position indicated by line I it may be moved into the position indicated by line K for one filling cycle, and then into that indicated by line L for filling the next bag. Understandably, the invention can be adapted for a machine having a single filling spout, or for one having two (as in the present instance) or more filling spouts as desired. The switching from position K to position L is achieved by the use of a switching device 30, which connects the guide track 28 either to the guide track 32, as shown by the connecting curved lines in FIGURE 2, or to the guide track 31, when the switch in FIGURE 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow. For shifting the switch to and fro, use is made of the cylinder 33. In each position, K and L, the arm 16 is retained by a separate stop 34 (FIGURE 1).

At the end of the arm 16 there are two vacuum lines 37 connected to a flexible vacuum line by a nipple 39' (FIGURES 1, 11 and 12), which, together With suction cups 3S, constitute elements for taking a bag 3 from the supply stock 9. When the arm has shifted to the end of its path, into the position indicated by lines G and H, the suction cups 38 are pressed against the foremost bag in the supply. Suction is then brought to act on this bag, and when the arm 16 moves away from the supply, the bag 3 is pulled from behind the supports 13, 14 by the suction cups and is carried along thereby as the arm travels from position G-I-I through position G-J to one of the positions K or L (FIGURES 1, 2 and 7).

More particularly, a sleeve 40 (herein referred to as the third sleeve) shown, in FIGURES 1, 4 and 8, is mounted in the end of the arm 16 for turning or rotational movement when desired. This sleeve is adapted to turn through a are by means of crank 41, the guide member or roller 42, and the fixed guide track 43, suitably mounted in fixed relation to the track 36, best shown in FIGURE 4. Sleeve 4% is provided with a cross pin 44, enabling a support bar 45 to tilt through a small angle in the sleeve 40, the support bar 45 then being forced towards the position shown in FIGURE 1 by a spring 46. By means of a small slide block 47 (FIGURE 1), the support bar 45 is guided in a bracket 48 mounted on the arm 167 As will become apparent from the sub sequent description, the sleeve 40 can be turned only when the support bar 45 is concentric with the sleeve, as in dicated in FIGURE 8, so that there is no torsion. 0n the end of the support bar there is a roller 49, which cooperates with a fixed guide track 50 suitably mounted in fixed relation to tracks 36 and 43, as best shown in the top, front and pictorial views of FIGURES 5, 6, 11 and 14, respectively.

Mounted on the support bar 45 are two concentric sleeves 51 and 52, as best shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, a flange 53 of the sleeve 51 having a base 54 (FIGURES 1 and 10) of a vacuum line 55 mounted thereon, while on a flange 56 of the sleeve 52 there is similarly mounted a base 57 of a vacuum line 58. The vacuum lines 55 and 58 are provided with suction cups 59 and 60, respectively, as best shown in FIGURE 1, each vacuum line being provided with a nipple 61 for connecting to a flexible vacuum line. The support rod 45 is provided with a longitudinal slot 64 and each of the sleeves 51 and 52 is provided with a slot, 62 and 63, respectively, which slots (FIGURES 8 and 9) are so positioned withrespect to each other that they form opposite angles with a common generatrix. A pin 65 cooperates with the three slots and can be moved against the pressure of the spring 66 acting on movable spring seat 66', by a rod 67 projecting from the support rod 45. If the position of rod 67 is changed, the sleeves 51 and 52, and hence the suction cups 59 and 60, are turned with respect to each other. This is accomplished, as shown in FIGURE 5, by the end of rod 67 cooperating with the guide track 68 suitably mounted in fixed relation with respect to tracks 36, 43 and 50. As an example, the relative position of the elements shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 is identical to that position in which the mouths of the suction cups 5@ and 60 are situated at an angle to each other, as shown in FIGURES 1, 7c and 7d. In this situation, the support bar 45 is positioned with respect to the sleeve 40 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 8, and the crank 41 is in the position shown in FIGURE 4.

The interrelated operation of the cylinders for the movement of the various mechanisms and the operation of the vacuum source for the suction cups takes place according to a fixed program, which is coordinated with the program of the filling machine in a manner well understood in the art. Since this will present no difficulties to the expert in the field, and since these matters do not come within the purview of the invention, itis deemed unnecessary to provide a detailed description thereof, except as set forth in the following description of the operation of the device according to the invention.

In the situation shown in FIGURE 1, the vacuum in the suction cups 59, 60 and 38 is eliminated or released, after which the arm 16 is swung vertically upward by cylinder 16, leaving behind the bag 3, which is now filled. The arm departs from position K, moving horizontally sideways while being guided out of the guide track 32 (FIGURE 2) and the switch 30 through the action of roller 27, and passing in position I to its uppermost position G. The roller 27 then reaches the switch end of the guide track 28 whereupon the switch 36, travelling in the direction of the arrow, may be moved into the other position by the cylinder 33. In its uppermost position (see line I connecting FIGURES 3 to 6), the outer end of the arm 16 engages the stop 26.

Next, the cylinder 21 is actuated, so that the arm 16 moves horizontally sideways from J toI-I, the outer end of the arm being guided by the guide track 36 (FIG- URE 3) through the action of roller .35. The rod 67 is pushed inwards by the guide track 68 (FIGURE 5),

so that the suction cups 59 and 61 which are not yet positioned against any bag in the supply, turn with respect to each other; in FIGURE 9 the base 54 turns to the right, the base 57 to the left. The end of support bar 45 is guided by the guide track 54? through the action of the roller 49 (FIGURE 6), so that the support bar will be brought, bearing against the pressure of spring 66, into a position concentric with the sleeve 46 so that the sleeve 40 can now be turned independently of the guide track 43 (FIGURE 4). When the arm 16 moves on, roller 42 runs into a recess 69 in the guide track 43 and sleeve 40 continues to move with the result that the sleeve it) turns. The dotted line in FIGURE 4 indicates the axis or line of symmetry of the crank 41 in the end position, with arm 16 now in its end position H, where it is arrested by stops 24 and 22. (FIGURES 1 and 2). The suction cups 59, 6t), and 36 are now pressed against the foremost bag 3 in the supply stock 9, the position of the suction cups 59 and 6'0 with respect to the foremost bag being shown in the extreme right hand diagram, FIGURE 7a. The vacuum is then activated within the suction cups, whereafter the cylinder 21 changes the direction of the movement of the arm 16 so that the bag is pulled from the supply stock.

During the movement over the distance A (see FIG- URE 4), the crank 41 with the sleeves 40, 51 and 52, the vacuum lines 55 and 58, and the suction cups 59 and 60, is turned back through an angle of as a result of which the valve 4 of the bag is also turned through 90, see the second diagram from the right, FIGURE 7b. Next, the arm 16 travels the distance B, during which movement the support bar 45 is tilted with respect to the sleeve 44] by the action of the roller 49 and the guide track 50, so that the position of FIGURE 8 is regained. At the same time, the: rod 67 is returned to its former position by the action of the guide track 68, so that the bases 54 and 57 turn back into the position shown in FIGURE 9. Owing to these two movements, the suction cups 59 and 60 are lifted and turned, so that the valve is opened as shown in the top left diagram, FIGURE 70. While the distance C is being traversed, the operating elements 49, 67, and 42, and the guide roller 35 come clear of or leave their guide tracks, followed by an idle travel through distance D until the arm 16 is arrested by the stops 25 and 23.

The arm 16 then swings down to reach the position indicated by the line I (FIGURES 1-7). Owing to the position of switch 34), the roller 27 of the arm 16 is now guided by the guide track 31, so that the movement of the arm ends on the line L (FIGURES 2 and 7d). At the same time, the valve 4 is slipped around the filling spout 2, completing one half of the cycle wherein the arm has departed from position K and has arrived in position L. Thereafter, the departure from position L and the return to position K proceeds in the same manner as described above, as the device of the invention proceeds in continuous operation.

To recapitulate the operation of the present apparatus, it will be noted that a supply of empty bags 9 is supported on the conveyor 11 with the bodies thereof disposed in vertical planes and the valves 4 thereof facing downwardly, the conveyor 11 serving to move the leading bag 3 of the supply into a supply position after each bag 3 is removed from the supply position.

The suction cups 38 are fixedly carried by the outer end of the arm 16 with the bag engaging surfaces thereof disposed in a common vertical plane and these suction cups are moved, through the movement of the arm 16, between a bag receiving position, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, wherein the suction cups engage the body of a bag 3 disposed in the aforementioned supply position and a bag filling position, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1, wherein the body of the bag is disposed below a spout 2 of the filling machine 1. The movement of the arm 16 from a position corresponding to the bag receiving position to a position corresponding to the bag filling position consists of an initial horizontal sliding movement from the bag receiving position, such as illustrated at H in FIGURES 2 and 3, to the position I, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. This movement is accomplished by a horizontal sliding movement of the inner endof the arm with respect to part 17 by means of the cylinder 21, the roller 27 connected with the inner end of the arm 16 moving through the horizontal guide track portion 28 during this movement. After the initial horizontal sliding movement of the arm. has been effected, the next movement is a downward vertical swinging movement of the arm 16, by means of cylinder 18, from its raised position, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, to a lowered position, as shown in solid lines in FIG- URE 1.

Where the filling machine is provided with a pair of v horizontally spaced discharge spouts 2 which may be alternately operated to fill bags, the arm 16 in its raised position is disposed in a vertical plane intermediate the the pair of horizontally spaced discharge spouts. Consequently, with this arrangement, a horizontal sliding movement of the arm 16 is imparted during the central portion of its downward swinging movement from its raised position to its lowered position so as to dispose the arm within the vertical plane of the respective discharge spout on which the bag is to be operatively coniected for filling. This horizontal sliding movement iuring the central portion of the vertical swinging movenent of the arm from its raised position to its lowered Jositlon is accomplished by the engagement of the roller 27 within one of the guide tracks 31 or 32 depending upon the position of the swinging device 3% controlled 3y cylinder 33. In normal operation the cylinder 33 will 3e operated during each cycle of movement of the arm l6 so that the guide tracks 31 and 32 will receive the roller 27 alternately during the downward swinging movement of the arm 16 at the end of which the suction :ups 38 are disposed in their bag filling position.

It will be understood that a source of vacuum is comtnunicated with the vacuum cups 38 when the latter are disposed in their bag receiving position and such source of vacuum is cut off when the suction cups are disposed in their bag filling position. The movement of the arm 16 from the bag filling position of the suction :up 38 to the bag receiving position thereof is simply the reverse of the movement described above from the bag receiving position to the bag filling position.

It will also be noted that during the horizontal sliding movement of the arm 16 in its raised position between the limiting positions H and J, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, a relative movement of the valve engaging suction cups 59 and 60 with respect to the body engaging suctions cups 38 is effected in response to this movement. As best shown in FIGURE 7a, the bag engaging surfaces of the suction cups 59 and 60 are disposed in a common vertical plane when the suction cups 59 and 69 are disposed in the bag receiving position. During the initial part of the movement of the arm 16 away from the limiting position H corresponding to the bag receiving position of the suction cups 59 and 6'0, the latter are pivoted about the axis of sleeve 4t) through the engagement of roller 4-2 with recess 69. The pivotal movement of the suction cups 59 and 60 about the axis of the sleeve 40 is to an extent of 90 and this movement is accomplished during the initial portion of the horizontal movement of the arm represented by the distance A in FIGURE 4. During the next portion of the horizontal movement of the arm 16, represented by the distance B in FIGURE 4, the suction cups and 60 are simultaneously (1) tilted about a second pivotal axis transverse to the axis of rotation of the sleeve 40, corresponding to the axis of the cross pin 44, through engagement of the roller 49 within the downwardly inclined portion of the guide track 50 as shown in FIGURE 6, and (2) pivotally moved through small equal angles in opposite directions about a third axis perpendicular to the axis of the cross pin 44, constituting the common axis of the sleeves 51 and 52, through the engagement of the rod 67 with the inclined portion of guide track 68, as shown in FIGURE 5, and the engagement of pin 65 within slots 62 and 63 in the sleeves 51 and 52. During this movement, the suction cups 59 and 60 are moved from a position wherein their bag engaging surfaces are disposed in a horizontal plane, as shown in FlGURE 7b, to a position wherein they are disposed in symmetrical relation on opposite sides of a vertical plane each within an inclined plane facing downwardly and toward the aforesaid vertical plane, as shown in 70. Thus, during this movement the valve 4 is opened.

Suction cups 59 and 60 are retained in the valve opening position, as shown in FIGURE 70, during the subsequent horizontal movement of the arm 16 to the position I and the subsequent vertical swinging movement of the arm 16 into its lowered position at the end of which suction cups 59 and 60 are disposed in the bag filling position, shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1.

As with the suction cups 33, suction cups 59 and 6t) are communicated with a source of vacuum in their bag receiving position and such source of vacuum is cut off when the suction cups 5% and 60 are disposed in their bag filling position. The movement of the suction cups 8 59 and (d ll from the bag filling position the the bag receiving position is the reverse of the movement previously described.

In this way, the apparatus of the present invention is operable to engage successive bags in the bag supply position and to move them into a bag filling position during which movement the closed valveis opened and moved around the next operative discharge spout 2 with the body of the bag therebelow for filling by the filling machine 1 in accordance with the normal operation of the latter.

It is therefore seen that in accomplishing its objects, the present invention provides a reliable automatic device for mechanizing the tedious bag filling operation that has become increasingly common in the inorganic synthetic and agricultural chemicals industries, in feed packaging and various manufacturing operations, wherein existing bgg filling machines can employ the device of the invention without extensive modification. As a further advantage, the device of the invention permits manual operation when desired. It will be understood also that the invention may he the subject of various modifications by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, which should only be limited to the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for feeding valve bags to a filling machine to be filled with granular or powdery material issuing from discharge spout means of the filling machine comprising means for retaining a supply of valve bags and feeding successive valve bags into a supply position wherein the body of the bag is disposed vertically and the valve of the bag faces downwardly in closed relation, means for engaging the body of a bag in releasably secured relation thereto, means for engaging the valve of a bag in releasably secured relation thereto, and means mounting said bag body engaging means and said bag valve engaging means for movement between bag receiving and bag filling positions and for relative movement with respect to each other during their movement between said positions in which when in a bag receiving position said bag body engaging means and said bag valve engaging means are disposed in engagement with the body and valve, respectively, of a bag in said supply position, and during movement from said bag receiving position toward a bag filling position the relative movement of said bag body engaging means and said bag valve engaging means with respect to each other is operable to open the valve of a bag engaged thereby, and when in said bag filling position said bag body engaging means and said bag valve engaging means are disposed to releasably secure a bag engaged thereby with the open valve thereof around discharge spout means of the filling machine and the body thereof therebelow.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes an arm mounted for vertical swinging movement about a horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions and for horizontal sliding movement along said horizontal axis and means for restricting the movement of said arm to horizontal sliding movement adjacent said bag receiving position and to vertical swingmg movement adjacent a bag filling position.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 including means for effecting horizontal sliding movement of said arm when disposed in said raised position between two limiting positions and means for effecting the vertical swinging movement of said arm between said raised and lowered posltlons.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including means for effecting a horizontal sliding movement of said arm in either horizontal direction during the vertical swinging movement thereof between its raised and lowered positions so as to move said bag body engaging means and said bag valve engaging means into and out of either one of two bag filling positions each associated with a separate discharge spout of the discharge spout means of the filling machine.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said bag body engaging means and said bag valve engaging means comprise a plurality of first and second suction cups respectively having bag engaging surfaces and wherein said mounting means further includes means fixedly mounting said first suction cups on said arm in spaced relation to said horizontal axis with the bag engaging surfaces thereof disposed in a common vertical plane.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said mounting means further includes means mounting a pair of said second suction cups on said arm in spaced relation to the horizontal axis thereof for movement in response to the horizontal sliding movement of said arm between said two limiting positions between said bag receiving position which corresponds to one limiting position of said arm wherein said pair of second suction cups are disposed with their bag engaging surfaces in a common vertical plane on opposite sides of a horizontal plane passing through said vertical plane and a second position corresponding to the other limiting position of said arm wherein said pair of second suction cups are disposed with their bag engaging surfaces on opposite sides of a vertical plane and each Within a plane facing downwardly and toward said vertical plane in symmetrical relation.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said second suction cup mounting means comprises a first sleeve mounted on said arm for pivotal movement about a first axis extending transverse to the horizontal axis of said arm, a support bar mounted on said first sleeve for pivotal movement about a second axis transverse to said first axis and parallel with the horizontal axis of said arm, second and third sleeves mounted on said support bar for pivotal movement about a common third axis transverse to said second axis, means for fixedly securing said second suction cups to said second and third sleeves respectively, and means operable in response to the movement of said arm between said limiting positions for efiecting a 90 pivotal movement of said first sleeve about its axis, a pivotal movement of said support bar about said second axis and equal pivotal movements in opposite directions of said second and third sleeves about said common third axis.

References tjited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I 3,053,027 9/1962 Frost 53190 3,225,514 12/1965 Inglett 53-1 90 3,225,515 12/1965 Inglett 5319O GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, IR., Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING VALVE BAGS TO A FILLING MACHINE TO BE FILLED WITH GRANULAR OR POWDERY MATERIAL ISSUING FROM DISCHARGE SPOUT MEANS OF THE FILLING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR RETAINING A SUPPLY OF VALVE BAGS AND FEEDING SUCCESSIVE VALVE BAGS INTO A SUPPLY POSITION WHEREIN THE BODY OF THE BAG IS DISPOSED VERTICALLY AND THE VALVE OF THE BAG FACES DOWNWARDLY IN CLOSED RELATION, MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE BODY OF A BAG IN RELEASABLY SECURED RELATION THERETO, MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE VALVE OF A BAG IN RELEASABLY SECURED RELATION THERETO, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID BAG BODY ENGAGING MEANS AND SAID BAG VALVE ENGAGING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN BAG RECEIVING AND BAG FILLING POSITIONS AND FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER DURING THEIR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS IN WHICH WHEN IN A BAG RECEIVING POSITION SAID BAG BODY ENGAGING MEANS AND SAID BAG VALVE ENGAGING MEANS ARE DISPOSED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BODY AND VALVE, RESPECTIVELY, OF A BAG IN SAID SUPPLY POSITION, AND DURING MOVEMENT FROM SAID BAG RECEIVING POSITION TOWARD A BAG FILLING POSITION THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID BAG BODY ENGAGING MEANS AND SAID BAG VALVE ENGAGING MEANS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IS OPERABLE TO OPEN THE VALVE OF A BAG ENGAGED THEREBY, AND WHEN IN SAID BAG FILLING POSITION SAID BAG BODY ENGAGING MEANS AND SAID BAG VALVE ENGAGING MEANS ARE DISPOSED TO RELEASABLY SECURE A BAG ENGAGED THEREBY WITH THE OPEN VALVE THEREOF AROUND DISCHARGE SPOUT MEANS OF THE FILLING MACHINE AND THE BODY THEREOF THEREBELOW. 